Abuse is the action and effect of abusing . This verb means using something or someone badly, excessively, unfairly, improperly or inappropriately, as detailed in the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) .
The notion of abuse can be applied in different ways to form different concepts. An abuse of authority , for example, is one committed by a superior when he or she exceeds the exercise of powers towards a subordinate, generally humiliating him or her and forcing him or her to perform tasks that are not part of his or her obligations, or to work more hours than normal. agreed without increasing their remuneration.
Abuse of strength and trust
Abuse of force occurs when a security force, such as the police, violently attacks a civilian, whether provoked or not, since in no way can violence against the people be justified by those who promise to protect them ; It is very common to witness this type of abuse during the course of a public demonstration. This term is linked to abuse of superiority .
Abuse of trust , on the other hand, involves infidelity committed by someone against a person who, through carelessness, inexperience or affection, has given them space in their life. Although the concept shares the term "abuse", it is one of the least serious, given that it generally entails excessive use of borrowed objects, or repeated disrespect such as visits without having received an invitation and at complicated times.
The concept in law
Abuse of rights is the exercise of a right that is carried out in a manner contrary to its own purpose and that causes harm to others.
When, in competition law, a company or a group of companies takes advantage of its advantageous situation to the detriment of competitors or users, it is called abuse of dominant position .
sexual abuse
The concept of sexual abuse represents both one of the most common and most ignored crimes . The main culprits of this contradiction are a dangerous set of human attitudes: negligence, denial and shame . The first two are usually attributed to the parents or guardians of minors who are forced to have sexual relations by a family member or friend at home; In general, the victims are people with whom sex has not been discussed, boys and girls who have not been prepared to react to an invasion of their privacy.
The most normal consequence of such a lack of information is confusion, especially when it comes to young children, who have not yet gone through the latency stage. Memories of sexual encounters cannot be understood in their entirety, which is why they are partly accepted as common events, and it is assumed that all people of the same age share these experiences. If there are no threats from the aggressor (who, contrary to popular beliefs, can be either a man or a woman), it is possible for the abused to talk to his elders, although not necessarily to report the abuse, but simply to tell about it, just like you do with the rest of the things that happen in your daily life.
That is when negligence , the worst of the three aforementioned attitudes, comes into action and causes irreparable wounds in the mind of the abused. A parent who makes light of a comment of this magnitude is just as responsible for their child's abuse as the abuser, if not more so. It is said that abused children are afraid to give signs of attacks due to the fear that is implanted in their brains, but the study of many cases with fatal endings shows that there were signs of abuse, and that they were not perceived as such due to the unfortunate deficiency. that characterizes communication in families.